Pokemon Silver Version

"Easily one of the best handheld games ever. Fantastic on so many different levels."

Pokemon Silver/Gold/Crystal, the 2nd generation of Pokemon games, are my favorite, because of the sheer way that Game Freak has managed to improve upon the already-classic original.

In GSC, the game's 251 Pokemon are spread out over two horizons, though some, such as the last game's starters and Legendary Pokemon, are only available through trade with RBY. The series is expanded to a new land, Johto, and 100 new Pokemon are added to the quest, along with a second portion of the game that allows the player to access the original land of RBY, and with new factors for battle, it's clear that the Pokemon series is establishing itself as a new force for strategy and RPG gaming.

Graphically, almost everything in GSC is superior to RBY. Along with new sprites, better move effects, and full coloration of all Pokemon, it all looks smoother, crisper, and cleaner. The art on the Pokemon themselves are of the highest caliber you will see on any Game Boy Color game, so evidently Game Freak made good use of the time that they easily could have used enjoying the cash they were raking in with RBY.

Also, simple things are added to make the game a bit more smooth, such as easier item navigation, so it is less of a hassle to search your inventory for a Poke Ball or TM, the abillity to set certain key items to select, and so on. The player also seems to move faster, which was one of my big complaints with RBY. Finally, the status menu for all Pokemon has been streamlined and organized better, allowing the user to see moves, stats, and other information on all of their monsters far more easily.

Musically, GSC is decent. Most of the tracks and effects sound better in GSC, and there is no real complaint here about them.

One of the biggest things that I enjoy about GSC is that Pokemon battling - the bread and butter of the game - has been refined and better balanced. It's no secret that RBY was made in such a way so that two Legendary Psychic Pokemon, Mewtwo and Mew, and some of their other spoon-bending pals(Alakazam, Starmie, etc.) were able to completely conquer Pokemon Land, while Pokemon with physical abilities got unbelievably shafted. This has been somewhat rectified in GSC, which has taken to a variety of measures to balance out the game. This includes adding two new types (Dark and Steel), expanding the movepools of most Pokemon, giving some existing ones (Scyther, Slowbro, Chansey, etc.) different evolutionary forms, and, in some cases, altering stats to make some Pokemon less omnipotent. Also, with new moves and strategies, the new Pokemon show their stuff, and your old favorites(which, by the way, are compatible with GSC, thanks to the Time Machine) can fight in ways you never before dreamed of. The result? A game where it is truly easier than in RBY to play in a style you would like. And ultimately, that balance, although still not quite perfect, makes GSC far better than the original.

Overall, GSC is truly both a great game, and a good example to follow when trying to trump an original with a sequel. By far one of the best games on the GBC.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/06/06